The Album Review Club - Week #191 (page 1286) - Harlequin Dream - Boy & Bear

Black&White&BlueMoon Town said:
I gave this some time because I was sure someone was about to put the ball in, but no one is yet feeding Haaland in the box, so I will try again.

Your first two questions are way too general, and your third is too specific.

You haven't asked the one that is juuuuust right!
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Aye steady, trying to find bands from colorado or catalina aint easy.
 
GornikDaze said:
So instead of practising ahead of my fortnightly guitar lesson in half an hour, I’m googling images of Winnie the @*^%in Pooh!!!
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You have moved onto the second picture, and you are close... the answer in its entirety from the photos is already out there. You can put down the honey.

PS. You deserve this goal, you really do.
 
Coatigan said:
Friends - white lies
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You are clearly bored with winning these, but I'll allow that second ball on the field that you and mrbelfry keep passing back and forth. About an hour ago mrbelfry got the 2nd with my like, and I should just let Gornik have this pen given he did the heavy lifting on the first.
 
Black&White&BlueMoon Town said:
You are clearly bored with winning these, but I'll allow that second ball on the field that you and mrbelfry keep passing back and forth. About an hour ago mrbelfry got the 2nd with my like, and I should just let Gornik have this pen given he did the heavy lifting on the first.
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I have no fucking idea what you are on about mate.

Taylor Swift - Red
 
RobMCFC said:
Moonfire - Boy & Bear
Harlequin Dream - Boy & Bear - I have this album
Limit of Love - Boy & Bear
Suck on Light - Boy & Bear
Boy & Bear - Boy & Bear
Tripping Over Time - Boy & Bear
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And I didn't even realize you were still on the field, AND you have this?

Well well, I was convinced no one did. Nicely done on the buckshot too just to Hammer it home.
 
Black&White&BlueMoon Town said:
And I didn't even realize you were still on the field, AND you have this?

Well well, I was convinced no one did. Nicely done on the buckshot too just to Hammer it home.
Click to expand...
Wow, it’s so obvious now with the clear evidence of the harlequin in the clues.

TBF I feel pretty dumb not getting the band!
 
Black&White&BlueMoon Town said:
And I didn't even realize you were still on the field, AND you have this?

Well well, I was convinced no one did. Nicely done on the buckshot too just to Hammer it home.
Click to expand...
I've just used Google reverse image search for the first time and the 2nd image comes up as "dream" - which I think somebody said earlier.

So I'll narrow my guess down to:-

Harlequin Dream - Boy & Bear
 
Harlequin Dream – Boy & Bear

1762358140159.png

Released in 2013, Harlequin Dream is the 2nd album from Australian indie rock and folk band Boy & Bear. Ironically, their first album was up against The Jezebels’ EP in the AIRA Music Awards (right before they released Prisoner, the most recent selection here). Neither Coatigan or I were aware of the close proximity of artists, timeframes, and genre overlaps before our albums were put up, yet here I am taking Foggy’s original place, and not blinking this week.

This is the first album I’m nominating that I discovered as a result of the music threads here on BlueMoon.

I wrote this in the Playlist Review thread back in April of 2025 on the most recent “Could have been a Contender” Playlist on this non-selection at the time that I had just heard for the first time then:

I was all set on an artist I found associated with one I currently also view as underrated, but the more I listened, the more I think I may save them for the Album thread. And yes, while that may be crazy, I've really enjoyed their material. I need more time than a day to mull it over, so it's a "wait and see there", but they'll be coming somewhere soon to BlueMoon.​

So, that time is now, and I’m happy to hopefully introduce a band very few of you have likely heard of that really have some powerful lyrics (that many of you know I’m big on) and a very unique sound.

This band experienced a fresh creative period within a few weeks of finishing work on their debut album and stayed in Sydney near their friends and family to record this. What came out of this effort is this standout release which very much reflects the personalities and experiences of the band that they were going through at that time.

The band here consists of founding leader David Hosking (vocals and guitar), Killian Gavin (vocals and guitar), Tim Hart (drums, vocals, banjo, mandolin), Jonathan Hart (keys, synths, vocals), and David Symes (bass). The band was formed in 2009 in Sydney, starting as a solo project for singer-songwriter Hosking, and he soon started jamming with Gavin and Tim Hart to form the basis of the band.

Back in 2010, while being relatively unknown even in their home country, Boy & Bear recorded a beautiful banjo-led version of Crowded House’s “Fall at Your Feet” on the tribute album to Tim and Neil Finn on He Will Have His Way. Perhaps Rob has heard that already, and if he hasn’t, I would highly recommend it (post-edit: given Rob knows this album, it sounds like he does).

This album debuted at #1 on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) charts. Its release was preceded by the lead single "Southern Sun", a song which paid homage to Australian singer-songwriter Richard Clapton's relaxed 1970s steel guitar sound. Boy & Bear were nominated for three ARIA awards including: Best Group, Best Rock Album, and Producer of the Year (with Wayne Connolly). The album was also nominated for a J Award and was ranked #7 in triple j's (Australian alternative radio station) Top 10 Albums of 2013 poll.

From this album’s release until the end of 2014, Boy & Bear completed three international tours including 168 shows covering AUS, NZ, US, CAN, UK, and EU. Yes, I missed them on tour back then too.

My favourite songs from this album that moved me the most when I first heard them, and have grown even stronger upon further listens include:
  • "Southern Sun" – already noted and some beautiful opening guitar work on how this kicks off the album. Inspired by the music from Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, and Paul Simon.
  • “Old Town Blues” – some great lyrics I really loved in this song about isolation in touring and finding what’s important to give one strength:
'Cause I wanna be an old man too, I wanna be a role model to my kids​
I wanna teach them how to love, But you gotta show me how to live​
  • "Harlequin Dream" – the saxophone and falsetto vocals in the refrain was very cleverly used on this title song with some heartfelt lyrics on the struggle for fame over the sacrifice of familiar life and people for this pursuit, and the internal conflict as a result.
  • "Three Headed Woman" - some great guitar work in this song about the falling out of a relationship. Again, the lyrics hit hard:
Cause the love that keeps me sane, is killing me all the same​
It’s killing me It’s killing me, I’m done​
  • “A Moment’s Grace” – a slow moving folk song led by acoustic guitar and the occasional note from a piano contemplates finding moments of clarity and peace amidst the sacrifices and struggles of life . I love this line:
For all the time I'd been given, maybe I'd forgot what living was now for​
  • “Back Down the Black” – a pretty powerful song about battling depression and hardship, inspired by the struggles of Hosking’s brother.
  • “Stranger” – might be my favourite song that really hooked me in the very first time I heard it. The lyrics here aren’t gentle in the melancholy reflection it offers on a family member never close to, but the music is hits perfectly as it reaches the building guitar solo at the end.
Old man was it worth it? Was it all that it seems? ​
Did you ever find the carcass of your dreams?” ​

Like my last nomination, I was again on the fence about this album, but I’d decided after repeated listens over the summer that this is a band that deserves probably a greater exposure outside of Australia than they’ve had thus far, harkening back to the theme on the Playlist thread, where I really struggled to pick just one song from this. This album has reminded me of some of the best singer-songwriter albums we’ve recently covered on the Rock Evolution Thread from the 1970’s and beyond, and I’d put these vocals over many artists that are much more popular too. Of the other bands I like, I can hear some early R.E.M., Australia’s Crowded House, and the War On Drugs on this album. I’ve had time to let the band album grow with me, hope it grabs a couple this week.
 
Black&White&BlueMoon Town said:
Harlequin Dream – Boy & Bear

View attachment 173987

Released in 2013, Harlequin Dream is the 2nd album from Australian indie rock and folk band Boy & Bear. Ironically, their first album was up against The Jezebels’ EP in the AIRA Music Awards (right before they released Prisoner, the most recent selection here). Neither Coatigan or I were aware of the close proximity of artists, timeframes, and genre overlaps before our albums were put up, yet here I am taking Foggy’s original place, and not blinking this week.

This is the first album I’m nominating that I discovered as a result of the music threads here on BlueMoon.

I wrote this in the Playlist Review thread back in April of 2025 on the most recent “Could have been a Contender” Playlist on this non-selection at the time that I had just heard for the first time then:

I was all set on an artist I found associated with one I currently also view as underrated, but the more I listened, the more I think I may save them for the Album thread. And yes, while that may be crazy, I've really enjoyed their material. I need more time than a day to mull it over, so it's a "wait and see there", but they'll be coming somewhere soon to BlueMoon.​

So, that time is now, and I’m happy to hopefully introduce a band very few of you have likely heard of that really have some powerful lyrics (that many of you know I’m big on) and a very unique sound.

This band experienced a fresh creative period within a few weeks of finishing work on their debut album and stayed in Sydney near their friends and family to record this. What came out of this effort is this standout release which very much reflects the personalities and experiences of the band that they were going through at that time.

The band here consists of founding leader David Hosking (vocals and guitar), Killian Gavin (vocals and guitar), Tim Hart (drums, vocals, banjo, mandolin), Jonathan Hart (keys, synths, vocals), and David Symes (bass). The band was formed in 2009 in Sydney, starting as a solo project for singer-songwriter Hosking, and he soon started jamming with Gavin and Tim Hart to form the basis of the band.

Back in 2010, while being relatively unknown even in their home country, Boy & Bear recorded a beautiful banjo-led version of Crowded House’s “Fall at Your Feet” on the tribute album to Tim and Neil Finn on He Will Have His Way. Perhaps Rob has heard that already, and if he hasn’t, I would highly recommend it (post-edit: given Rob knows this album, it sounds like he does)

This album debuted at #1 on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) charts. Its release was preceded by the lead single "Southern Sun", a song which paid homage to Australian singer-songwriter Richard Clapton's relaxed 1970s steel guitar sound. Boy & Bear were nominated for three ARIA awards including: Best Group, Best Rock Album, and Producer of the Year (with Wayne Connolly). The album was also nominated for a J Award and was ranked #7 in triple j's (Australian alternative radio station) Top 10 Albums of 2013 poll.

From this album’s release until the end of 2014, Boy & Bear completed three international tours including 168 shows covering AUS, NZ, US, CAN, UK, and EU. Yes, I missed them on tour back then too.

My favourite songs from this album that moved me the most when I first heard them, and have grown even stronger upon further listens include:
  • "Southern Sun" – already noted and some beautiful opening guitar work on how this kicks off the album. Inspired by the music from Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, and Paul Simon.
  • “Old Town Blues” – some great lyrics I really loved in this song about isolation in touring and finding what’s important to give one strength:
'Cause I wanna be an old man too, I wanna be a role model to my kids​
I wanna teach them how to love, But you gotta show me how to live​
  • "Harlequin Dream" – the saxophone and falsetto vocals in the refrain was very cleverly used on this title song with some heartfelt lyrics on the struggle for fame over the sacrifice of familiar life and people for this pursuit, and the internal conflict as a result.
  • "Three Headed Woman" - some great guitar work in this song about the falling out of a relationship. Again, the lyrics hit hard:
Cause the love that keeps me sane, is killing me all the same​
It’s killing me It’s killing me, I’m done​
  • “A Moment’s Grace” – a slow moving folk song led by acoustic guitar and the occasional note from a piano contemplates finding moments of clarity and peace amidst the sacrifices and struggles of life . I love this line:
For all the time I'd been given, maybe I'd forgot what living was now for​
  • “Back Down the Black” – a pretty powerful song about battling depression and hardship, inspired by the struggles of Hosking’s brother.
  • “Stranger” – might be my favourite song that really hooked me in the very first time I heard it. The lyrics here aren’t gentle in the melancholy reflection it offers on a family member never close to, but the music is hits perfectly as it reaches the building guitar solo at the end.
Old man was it worth it? Was it all that it seems? ​
Did you ever find the carcass of your dreams?” ​

Like my last nomination, I was again on the fence about this album, but I’d decided after repeated listens over the summer that this is a band that deserves probably a greater exposure outside of Australia than they’ve had thus far, harkening back to the theme on the Playlist thread, where I really struggled to pick just one song from this. This album has reminded me of some of the best singer-songwriter albums we’ve recently covered on the Rock Evolution Thread from the 1970’s and beyond, and I’d put these vocals over many artists that are much more popular too. Of the other bands I like, I can hear some early R.E.M., Australia’s Crowded House, and the War On Drugs on this album. I’ve had time to let the band album grow with me, hope it grabs a couple this week.
Click to expand...
You said you there was a connection to this in some way in your Gorilla Manor review? I am curious!
 
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